Meet Monica Krajewski | Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Monica Krajewski and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Monica, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
A value or principle that I find myself always coming back to is making sure I go at my own pace. I think with the society we live in now it’s hard not to get caught up in the fast pace of consumerism. The mental spiral of wanting to make sure that what you create is for everyone and that everyone will enjoy it. Would someone want to buy this print and will it be able to pay my bills? etc. It becomes tiring and somewhat discouraging. I want to make sure art and creating will always be a safe space for myself; If what I create that day can resonate with just one other person but I still feel true to myself, then I am happy. Keep creating what your truth is and the right people will come to cheer you on.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve been thinking about my style of art a lot lately, I don’t feel like I stick to one category or medium to be honest. It definitely is affected by which mood I am in at the time. I’ve noticed that when my mind is racing I tend to do more quick pen/pencil sketches, the lines are a bit messier and the overall theme is darker than my other stuff. When I’m happy and feeling airy, I tend to use more color and have more of a cartoon look when drawing. One might say I’m all over the place, but I like to say I’m just diverse. I like that my style conveys how I am feeling at the moment. I think there are a lot more creatives out there that feel the same way. It can be intimidating trying to find your style and feeling like you have to stick with one thing. That’s probably been the hardest part for me throughout my creative journey because I’ve always been somewhat “unconventional”. I don’t want to be boxed into a category, and I want to share with people it’s okay to do just that.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love being in nature. When I feel overwhelmed, that’s where I go. I love hiking, I wouldn’t say I’m a savant mountaineer but I’d like to get to that point someday. After hiking, we usually go to a brewery in town for drinks and food. Lately we have been going to Mother Muffs in Old Colorado City. I love the saying from, The Alpinist – Marc Andre, ” No Alpine ascent is truly complete until the beers go clink!”. (my go to is a dark nutty beer, personally). After that, I’d probably want to go to one of my favorite lookout spots in Garden of The Gods, and watch the sun go down and see all of the houses’ lights turn on. We usually pack the back of our car with pillows and blankets and make some tea before going as well. My partner and I love to learn about the history of certain areas that we live in or visit. Right now I’m reading, Being and Becoming Ute, by Sondra G. Jones.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Sounds cheesy but I have to really thank my dad for showing me the world of illustration. I like to tell him, “he was my Bob Ross before I knew who Bob Ross was”. I remember he would have to travel for work a lot when I was a kid and I would always look forward to seeing the doodles he would bring back that he’d sketch during his meetings. I’d put a piece of tracing paper over them and try to replicate what he drew hoping it would be as good as his. Him teaching me how to draw gave me, what felt like, a super power as a child. I couldn’t believe that I could draw a flamingo in a tutu dancing on the beach if I really wanted to. The possibilities felt endless in the world of art.

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